Multi-barrier bottles having tabbed preforms, and methods of forming the same

ABSTRACT

Multi-barrier bottles having tabbed preforms, as well as methods of forming the same are disclosed. A tabbed preform includes an elongate body extending into a cavity of a first barrier, where the cavity is defined by at least one piece having a recess therein. The tabbed preform further includes at least one preform extension piece extending from the elongate body at a predetermined distance from a top surface of the elongate body. The at least one preform extension piece is sized and shaped to correspond to a size and a shape of the recess.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

The present application claims priority to U.S. Provisional PatentApplication Ser. No. 62/144,550, filed Apr. 8, 2015 and entitled “BottlePreform,” which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

Embodiments described herein generally relate to a multi-barrier bottleformed from a bottle preform and, more specifically, to a bottle preformwith at least one preform extension piece.

BACKGROUND

Bottle preforms may be produced as an inner barrier of a bottle thatcomprises a polymer or other similar material that is blow molded,extruded, or otherwise expanded to a predetermined final shape, therebyresulting in bottles that are used for many different purposes, such asfor containing beverages, culinary ingredients, cleaning products,beauty products, automotive products, and/or other fluids. While currentmethods of bottle production may utilize interior and exterior barriers,many of these current processes are inefficient in terms of materialusage and result in misalignment between the barriers, causes the bottleto be structurally insecure. Accordingly, there exists a need in theindustry for more efficient material usage and ensuring appropriatealignment between barriers.

SUMMARY

In one embodiment, a tabbed preform includes an elongate body extendinginto a cavity of a first barrier, where the cavity is defined by atleast one piece having a recess therein. The tabbed preform furtherincludes at least one preform extension piece extending from theelongate body at a predetermined distance from a top surface of theelongate body. The at least one preform extension piece is sized andshaped to correspond to a size and a shape of the recess.

In another embodiment, a multi-barrier bottle includes a first barrierhaving a first piece and a second piece that define a cavity within thefirst barrier and a second barrier formed from a tabbed preform. Thefirst piece includes a first recess and the second piece comprises asecond recess. The tabbed preform includes an elongate body extendinginto the cavity within the first barrier and first and second preformextension pieces extending from the elongate body at a predetermineddistance from a top surface of the elongate body. The first and secondpreform extension pieces are received in the first recess and the secondrecess of the first barrier.

In yet another embodiment, a multi-barrier bottle includes a firstbarrier having a first piece and a second piece that define a cavitywithin the first barrier, and a second barrier formed from a blow moldedtabbed preform. The first piece includes a first recess and the secondpiece includes a second recess. The blow molded tabbed preform includesan elongate body extending into the cavity within the first barrier,first and second preform extension pieces extending from the elongatebody at a predetermined distance from a top surface of the elongatebody, where the first and second preform extension pieces are receivedin the first recess and the second recess of the first barrier, and aplurality of beads extending from the elongate body around acircumference of the elongate body, where the plurality of beads arelocated between the first and second preform extension pieces and thetop surface of the elongate body and maintain a positioning of thetabbed preform with respect to the first barrier such that the firstbarrier is in contact with the at least one bead.

These and additional features provided by the embodiments describedherein will be more fully understood in view of the following detaileddescription, in conjunction with the drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The embodiments set forth in the drawings are illustrative and exemplaryin nature and not intended to limit the disclosure. The followingdetailed description of the illustrative embodiments can be understoodwhen read in conjunction with the following drawings, where likestructure is indicated with like reference numerals and in which:

FIG. 1A depicts a side view of a multi-barrier bottle with a cap removedaccording to one or more embodiments shown and described herein;

FIG. 1B depicts a side perspective view of a multi-barrier bottle with acap according to one or more embodiments shown and described herein;

FIG. 2 depicts an exploded view of a top portion of a multi-barrierbottle having a tabbed preform according to one or more embodimentsshown and described herein;

FIG. 3A depicts a detailed perspective view of a top portion of a tabbedpreform according to one or more embodiments shown and described herein;

FIG. 3B depicts a detailed side view of a tabbed preform according toone or more embodiments shown and described herein;

FIG. 3C depicts a top view of a tabbed preform according to one or moreembodiments shown and described herein; and

FIG. 4 depicts a flow diagram of a process for forming a multi-barrierbottle.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Bottle preforms are generally used as predecessor materials for bottles,particularly plastic bottles. That is, a bottle preform may beconfigured as an amorphous structure that is produced from a material,such as a resin or the like, by melting the resin in an extruder andinjection molding the molten resin into a preform shape. Such a preformusually includes an outside surface area that is generally smaller thanthe outside surface of the bottle that results therefrom. To make abottle from the preform, the preform may be heated to an orientationtemperature such as, for example, about 30° C. above the glasstransition temperature. The heated preform is then placed into a bottlemold and formed into a bottle by stretching the preform and inflating itwith high pressure air.

The resin materials that may be used for preform production includepolyester resins, such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and itscopolyesters. However, other polymer resins that may be used forpreforms are generally understood. Such resins may be considered harmfulto the environment, as they are oftentimes not biodegradable. As such,it may be desirable to minimize use of the resin material to reduce theamount of material that may potentially end up in a landfill while atthe same time avoiding degradation of the quality and purpose of theresultant bottle.

Embodiments disclosed herein include a bottle preform that decreases theamount of material used to form the bottle preform. In addition, thebottle preform provides an orientation capability during production toensure the preform is appropriately aligned with an outer barrier layer.That is, the quantity of polymer per bottle can be reduced by using thepreform described herein to impart orientation in the resultant bottlesidewall, thereby improving resultant bottle strength.

While the preform described herein relates generally to a preform usedin forming a bottle, the present disclosure is not limited to such. Forexample, the preform may be used to form any of an article, a container,and/or the like. As such, it should be understood that a “bottlepreform” refers to a preform in the general sense and not solely apreform that is used to form a bottle.

Similarly, embodiments described herein may be configured as amulti-barrier container. Embodiments that utilize a multi-barrierconfiguration may include a plurality of layers of barrier material,including an outer barrier layer and an inner barrier layer formed fromthe preform. A barrier material may include any material that is used toform a gas barrier from the gases that are used when forming a bottlefrom the preform. In addition, the barrier material may also include anymaterial that is used to form a gas barrier for the eventual contents ofthe resulting bottle (e.g., a bottle filled with carbonated drinkscontains carbon dioxide). Other embodiments are also contemplated.

Referring now to the drawings, FIG. 1A depicts a multi-barrier bottle100, according to embodiments described herein. As illustrated, themulti-barrier bottle 100 includes at least an exterior barrier 102(e.g., a first barrier) and an interior barrier 104 (e.g., a secondbarrier). The exterior barrier 102 may include one or more walls 103 andmay be coupled to the interior barrier 104 to define a cavity 105. Assuch, the exterior barrier 102 may generally surround at least a portionof the interior barrier 104. In some embodiments, the exterior barrier102 may surround most the interior barrier 104. That is, the entirety ofthe interior barrier 104 except for a top portion 107 is surrounded bythe exterior barrier 102. Thus, in embodiments where the exteriorbarrier 102 is constructed of an opaque material, the interior barrier104, other than the top portion 107 thereof may not be visible.

In some embodiments, the exterior barrier 102 may be created from asingle piece of material. That is, the exterior barrier 102 may beparticularly formed as a one piece component. For example, the exteriorbarrier 102 may be formed by molding (e.g., injection molding,compression molding, or the like), extruding (e.g., extrusion molding),sculpting, blowing, or the like into a single piece unit. As an example,the single piece of the exterior barrier may be wrapped and seamed tocreate an enclosure defined by the exterior barrier 102. In otherembodiments, the exterior barrier 102 may be created by joining aplurality of pieces together at a plurality of seams. For example, theexterior barrier 102 may be formed by fusing a first piece to a secondpiece, as will be described herein.

In some embodiments, the exterior barrier 102 may be sized to define apredetermined interior volume for containing the fluid (e.g., a volumeof the cavity 105). For example, the exterior barrier 102 may define aninterior volume of about 1 milliliter (ml), about 10 ml, about 50 ml,about 100 ml, about 250 ml about 500 ml, about 750 ml, about 1 liter,about 1.5 liter, about 2 liter, about 2.5 liter, about 5 liter, about 10liter, etc. or any value or range between any two of these values(including endpoints). However, it should be understood that the volumeslisted herein are merely illustrative and that the present disclosure isnot limited to such.

The exterior barrier 102 may contain indicia 108 thereon or incorporatedtherewith. For example, the indicia 108 may be located on one or more ofthe walls 103 of the exterior barrier 102. The indicia 108 may beprinted directly on the exterior barrier 102, affixed to the exteriorbarrier 102, formed in a surface of the exterior barrier 102 (e.g., anembossed indicia), and/or the like.

In various embodiments, the exterior barrier 102 may be constructed ofan ecologically friendly material. While not exclusively limited tosuch, an ecologically friendly material may be a biodegradable material,compostable material, recyclable material, etc. Illustrativeecologically friendly materials may include, but are not limited to,agricultural processing materials, such as forms of sugarcane (bagasse),bamboo, wheat straw, banana leaves, hay, grasses, cornstalks, recycledpulp, fiber materials, and/or the like. Other illustrative ecologicallyfriendly materials may include, but are not limited to, post-consumerwaste, such as newsprint, packaging, other forms of paper products,and/or the like that may or may not have been recycled and/or repurposedfor a particular application as described herein. Yet other illustrativeecologically friendly materials may include, but are not limited to,composite materials, such as materials obtained from landfill and/ormunicipal reclaim centers, including architectural wood, buildingmaterials, manufacturing byproducts, and/or the like. It should beunderstood that one or more other ecologically friendly materials notspecifically described herein may also be used without departing fromthe scope of the present disclosure.

The interior barrier 104 may be constructed of a polymer material or thelike, particularly materials that are capable of being blow moldedand/or extruded. In some embodiments, the interior barrier 104 may be apreform, and thus may be constructed of materials that are used forpreforms, particularly bottle preforms. As described above, illustrativematerials may include, but are not limited to, PET and its copolyesters.Other illustrative materials may include polyether block amides (e.g.,PEBAX), nylons, polyurethanes, polyethylenes (e.g., high densitypolyethylenes (HDPE), ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylenes (UHWPE),low density polyethylenes (LDPE), or any combination thereof),biaxially-oriented polyethylene terephthalates (e.g., mylar), and otherpolymers and thermoplastic polymers, fabrics, silicones such as siliconerubber, latex, glass, or other materials now known or later developed.

The interior barrier 104 may be particularly sized and/or shaped suchthat it can fit within a volume defined by an interior surface of theexterior barrier 102, such as through an opening 111 in the cavity 105.In embodiments where the interior barrier 104 is a preform, the size andshape may generally correspond to typical preform shapes and/or sizesprior to forming the bottle from the preform. Other sizes and/or shapesof the interior barrier 104 should generally be understood.

In various embodiments, the multi-barrier bottle 100 may also include aremovable cap 106. The removable cap 106 may be attachable to at least aportion of the multi-barrier bottle 100 via one or more attachmentmembers 109 located on at least a portion of the multi-barrier bottle100 and/or the removable cap 106. For example, the removable cap 106 maycontain one or more threads (not shown) that correspond to one or morethreads that define the attachment members 109. As such, the removablecap 106 may be screwed onto the top portion 107 of the interior barrier104 to secure the components together, as depicted in FIG. 1B.

The removable cap 106 is not limited by this disclosure in shape, size,composition, or securing mechanism. In some embodiments, the removablecap 106 may correspond in shape and size to the top portion 107 of theinterior barrier 104 such that the removable cap 106 can be securelyplaced on the interior barrier 104. In some embodiments, the removablecap 106 may have various dimensional aspects that are generallyrecognized as being a standard shape and/or size. Similarly, someembodiments may be configured such that the removable cap 106 may beflexible and removed by deforming the flexible cap and/or performingother action to remove the removable cap 106 from the attachment members109. Depending on the embodiment, the removable cap 106 may or may notbe configured to reattach to the attachment members 109 once removed.

As illustrated in more detail in FIGS. 2 and 3A-3C, in embodiments wherethe interior barrier 104 is a preform, the preform may include one ormore preform extension pieces 202 (or a plurality of preform extensionpieces, such as a first preform extension piece and a second preformextension piece) that are aligned in a particular orientation.Accordingly, the exterior barrier 102 can be placed around the preformmaterial, with the preform extension pieces 202 being aligned with theseams of the exterior barrier 102. Upon sealing the exterior barrier 102around the preform material, the preform material may be blow molded toform the interior barrier 104. The multi-barrier bottle 100 may then becoupled with the removable cap 106 for sealing the bottle when in use.

FIG. 2 depicts an exploded view of a portion of the multi-barrier bottle100 having a tabbed preform 200, according to embodiments describedherein. As illustrated, the multi-barrier bottle 100 may include theexterior barrier 102, which is constructed using a first piece 102 a anda second piece 102 b. Each of the first piece 102 a and the second piece102 b may incorporate one or more recesses 210 therein. The recesses 210may receive one or more components, as described in greater detailherein.

As illustrated in FIG. 2, the tabbed preform 200 may include an elongatebody 214 extending into the cavity 105 of the exterior barrier 102(FIG. 1) and one or more preform extension pieces 202 a, 202 b extendingfrom the elongate body 214. The one or more preform extension pieces 202a, 202 b may be collectively referred to as preform extension pieces 202and generically as a preform extension piece 202. While FIG. 2 depictstwo preform extension pieces 202 located on opposite sides of theelongate body 214 tabbed preform 200, the present disclosure is notlimited to such. Depending on the embodiment, the tabbed preform 200 mayhave greater or fewer preform extension pieces 202. In some embodiments,the number of preform extension pieces 202 may correspond to a number ofseams that are present between various pieces of the exterior barrier102. For example, an exterior barrier 102 comprising two pieces may havetwo seams when joined together, thereby providing for two preformextension pieces 202. In another example, an exterior barrier 102 thatincludes three pieces may have three seams when joined together, therebyproviding three preform extension pieces 202. In some embodiments eachseam may correspond with more than one preform extension pieces 202.

The preform extension pieces 202 may be coupled to the tabbed preform200 at various locations around the circumference of the elongate body214 of the tabbed preform 200. For example, the preform extension pieces202 may extend from an exterior wall 201 of the tabbed preform 200. Inaddition, the preform extension pieces 202 may be located at or near atop surface 212 of the tabbed preform 200. In some embodiments, thevarious preform extension pieces 202 may be substantially evenly spacedfrom one another around the circumference of the elongate body 214 ofthe tabbed preform 200. For example, as particularly shown in FIGS. 2and 3B-3C, the preform extension pieces 202 may be located at about 180°from each other about the circumference of the tabbed preform 200 suchthat the extension pieces are on opposite sides of the tabbed preform200. In some embodiments, the preform extension pieces 202 may be moldedas an integral component of the tabbed preform 200. As such, the preformextension pieces 202 may be constructed of the same materials as for thetabbed preform 200.

The preform extension pieces 202 may be a particular shape and/or sizeto correspond to the shape and/or size of the recesses 210 in theexterior barrier 102. Thus, when the exterior barrier 102 is assembledaround the tabbed preform 200, each of the preform extension pieces 202may substantially fit within a corresponding recess 210. In someembodiments, the preform extension pieces 202 may all have substantiallythe same shape and/or size such that the they are agnostic to thecorresponding recesses 210 (i.e., any preform extension piece 202 willfit in any recess 210). In other embodiments, the preform extensionpieces 202 may have differing shapes and/or sizes such that each preformextension piece 202 specifically corresponds to a particular recess 210.As such, the tabbed preform 200 may be appropriately oriented withrespect to the exterior barrier 102 and the first piece 102 a and thesecond piece 102 b, when brought together to form the exterior barrier102, will secure the tabbed preform 200 to the exterior barrier 102.

In some embodiments, the preform extension pieces 202 may have asemicircular shape and may be arranged in a vertical orientation suchthat a flat edge of the semicircular shape contacts the exterior wall201 of the preform extension piece 202. In addition, such a shape andvertical orientation corresponds to the shape and orientation of therecesses 210 in the exterior barrier 102. However, such a shape andvertical orientation is merely illustrative.

Also depicted in FIG. 2 is a plurality of beads 204 a-204 j, which maybe collectively be referred to as beads 204 or generically as a bead204. The beads 204 may span the circumference of the tabbed preform 200at a predetermined distance from the top surface 212 of the tabbedpreform 200. In some embodiments, the predetermined distance may be lessthan a distance between the top surface 212 and the preform extensionpieces 202. Similar to the preform extension pieces 202, the pluralityof beads 204 may extend from the exterior wall 201 of the tabbed preform200. Also similar to the preform extension pieces 202, the plurality ofbeads 204 may be molded as an integral component of the tabbed preform200, and thus composed of the same materials as the tabbed preform 200.

The plurality of beads 204 may generally provide an indicator of anupper limit for placement of the exterior barrier 102 on the tabbedpreform 200. That is, the plurality of beads 204 may act as a stopmechanism that restricts the exterior barrier 102 from being placedabove the plurality of beads 204 (such as between the plurality of beads204 and the top surface 212 of the tabbed preform 200 and/or beyond thetop surface 212 of the tabbed preform 200). As such, when the exteriorbarrier 102 is placed around the tabbed preform 200, the exteriorbarrier 102 may not extend beyond the location of the plurality of beads204 because the extension of the plurality of beads 204 from theexterior wall 201 of the tabbed preform 200 results in a circumferencethat is too large to join the first piece 102 a and the second piece 102b together. However, when the tabbed preform 200 is properly placed withrespect to the exterior barrier 102, the first piece 102 a and thesecond piece 102 b may fit together to be joined around the tabbedpreform 200.

FIG. 2 further depicts at least a portion of the plurality of beads 204as being similar to the preform extension pieces 202 in shape. That is,each of the plurality of beads 204 may be generally semicircular inshape. While each of the preform extension pieces 202 are arranged in avertical orientation with respect to the tabbed preform 200, theplurality of beads 204 are each arranged in a horizontal orientationwith respect to the tabbed preform 200. However, the shape, size, andorientation of the plurality of beads 204 are merely illustrative, andthe present disclosure is not limited solely to the shapes, sizes, andorientations described herein. As such, other shapes, sizes, andorientations of the plurality of beads 204 may be utilized.

While ten beads 204 are depicted in FIG. 2, the present disclosure isnot limited to such. That is, in some embodiments, fewer than ten beads204 or greater than ten beads 204 may be used without departing from thescope of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, a single bead 204may extend around the circumference of the tabbed preform 200 as a lipor the like to achieve similar functionality.

FIGS. 3A-3C depict more detailed views of the tabbed preform 200according to various embodiments. As illustrated in FIG. 3A, the tabbedpreform 200 may include the preform extension pieces 202 a, 202 b, aswell as the beads 204 a-204 j. The tabbed preform 200 may also include ascrew-top configuration 302 or other mechanism for receiving theremovable cap 106 (FIGS. 1-2). That is, the screw-top configuration 302may incorporate a plurality of threads that correspond to threads on aninterior surface of the removable cap 106 (FIGS. 1-2) such that theremovable cap 106 can be securely fastened to the tabbed preform 200.

As illustrated in FIG. 3B, the tabbed preform 200 may be designed with alow profile. That is, a cross-sectional thickness of the tabbed preform200 may be less than that of a typical preform. Such a low profile mayserve to reduce a gram weight of the tabbed preform 200 and utilize anefficient amount of polymer material. That is, the tabbed preform 200may require a lesser amount of material than other preforms bydecreasing a thickness of the exterior walls 201 of the tabbed preform200. As such, the exterior walls 201 of the tabbed preform 200 generallyhave a thickness that is less than a thickness of other preforms. Forexample, a particular bottle preform may have a mass of about 25 grams.In contrast, the tabbed preform 200 may have generally the samedimensional aspects as the particular bottle preform (i.e., a similarheight, width, and circumference), but may use less material, resultingin a wall thickness that is less than that of the particular bottlepreform. As such, the mass of the tabbed preform 200 may be less than 25grams.

FIG. 3C illustrates a top view of the multi-barrier bottle 100 (FIGS.1-2), showing the preform extension pieces 202 a, 202 b being attachedto the first piece 102 a and the second piece 102 b. As illustrated, thepreform extension pieces 202 a, 202 b are received in the recesses suchthat the preform extension pieces 202 a, 202 b are be positioned toalign with the perceived seal between the first piece 102 a and thesecond piece 102 b. When the seal is made, the preform extension pieces202 a, 202 b may be part of that seal to secure the tabbed preform 200to the exterior barrier 102. As such, the preform extension pieces 202may be configured to be rigid during the sealing process or could beconfigured to deform to further act as a sealing mechanism between thefirst piece 102 a and the second piece 102 b. For example, a heattreatment that is used to seal the perceived seams between the firstpiece 102 a and the second piece 102 b may cause the preform extensionpieces 202 to melt to fuse the tabbed preform 200 to the exteriorbarrier 102.

FIG. 4 depicts a flow diagram of an illustrative method of forming themulti-barrier bottle 100. Referring also to FIGS. 1-3C, the method mayinclude providing the tabbed preform 200 at step 405. Providing thetabbed preform 200 may also include forming the tabbed preform 200 withthe preform extension pieces 202, the beads 204, and/or the screw-topconfiguration 302, as described in greater detail herein. In addition,providing the tabbed preform 200 may also include forming the tabbedpreform 200 with a smaller amount of material than a generallyrecognized preform, as also described in greater detail herein.

At step 410, the method may include providing the various pieces of theexterior barrier 102. For example, according to the embodimentsdescribed herein, step 410 may include providing the first piece 102 aand the second piece 102 b. In other embodiments, step 410 may includeproviding three or more pieces.

At steps 415 and 420, the first piece 102 a and the second piece 102 bof the exterior barrier 102 may be aligned with the tabbed preform 200.That is, the recess(es) 210 in the first piece 102 a and/or the secondpiece 102 b may be aligned with the corresponding preform extensionpieces 202. In addition, the first piece 102 a and the second piece 102b may be appropriately aligned with the beads 204. For example, thefirst piece 102 a and the second piece 102 b may be placed such that thebeads 204 are located between the pieces 102 and the top surface 212 ofthe tabbed preform 200. In addition, some embodiments may be configuredsuch that the pieces 102 may contact the beads 204.

At step 425, the first piece 102 a and the second piece 102 b may besealed together around the tabbed preform 200. In some embodiments, thefirst piece 102 a may be sealed to the second piece 102 b via heating,application of an adhesive, and/or the like. In some embodiments,sealing the first piece 102 a to the second piece 102 b may cause thepreform extension pieces 202 to adhere to the exterior barrier 102,thereby joining the exterior barrier 102 with the tabbed preform 200.

At step 430, the tabbed preform 200 may be formed into the interiorbarrier 104 inside the exterior barrier 102, thereby forming themulti-barrier bottle 100. While step 430 describes blow molding thetabbed preform 200, it should be understood that the present disclosureis not limited to such. That is, in some embodiments, other processes offorming the interior barrier 104 may be used, such as extruding thetabbed preform 200 or the like.

As illustrated above, various embodiments of multi-barrier containerhaving a tabbed preform are disclosed. These embodiments may allow foran efficient use of materials, as well as allowing for the tabbedpreform to be accurately oriented with respect to the first (e.g. outer)barrier in forming the bottle, thereby avoiding instances wheremalformation may occur because of a misalignment between the tabbedpreform and the first barrier. While particular embodiments and aspectsof the present disclosure have been illustrated and described herein,various other changes and modifications can be made without departingfrom the spirit and scope of the disclosure. Moreover, although variousaspects have been described herein, such aspects need not be utilized incombination. Accordingly, it is therefore intended that the appendedclaims cover all such changes and modifications that are within thescope of the embodiments shown and described herein.

What is claimed is:
 1. A tabbed preform comprising: an elongate bodyextending into a cavity of a first barrier, wherein the cavity isdefined by at least one piece having a plurality of recesses therein; atleast one bead extending from the elongate body, the at least one beadmaintaining a positioning of the tabbed preform with respect to thefirst barrier when the elongate body is coupled to the first barrier;and a plurality of preform extension pieces extending from the elongatebody at a predetermined distance from a top surface of the elongatebody, wherein: each one of the plurality of preform extension pieces issized and shaped to correspond to a size and a shape of a correspondingone of the plurality of recesses in the first barrier, and one of theplurality of preform extension pieces is spaced about 180° from anotherone of the plurality of preform extension pieces about a circumferenceof the elongate body.
 2. The tabbed preform of claim 1, wherein the atleast one bead is located between the at least one preform extensionpiece and the top surface of the elongate body.
 3. The tabbed preform ofclaim 1, wherein the at least one bead provides an indicator of an upperlimit for placement of the first barrier with respect to the tabbedpreform.
 4. The tabbed preform of claim 1, wherein the tabbed preform isformed from at least one of the following: polyethylene terephthalate, apolyether block amide, nylon, polyurethane, polyethylene,biaxially-oriented polyethylene terephthalate, a fabric, and silicone.5. The tabbed preform of claim 1, wherein: the at least one piececomprises a first piece and a second piece; and at least one of theplurality of preform extension pieces is aligned with a seam between thefirst piece and the second piece.
 6. The tabbed preform of claim 1,wherein the plurality of preform extension pieces are an integralcomponent of the tabbed preform.
 7. The tabbed preform of claim 1,wherein the at least one of the plurality of preform extension pieces isrigid.
 8. The tabbed preform of claim 1, wherein the at least one of theplurality of preform extension pieces is deformable.
 9. The tabbedpreform of claim 1, wherein the tabbed preform has a mass of less than25 grams.
 10. A multi-barrier bottle comprising: a first barriercomprising a first piece that is shaped to define a cavity, wherein thefirst piece comprises a plurality of recesses; and a second barrierformed from a tabbed preform, the tabbed preform comprising: an elongatebody extending into the cavity within the first barrier; at least onebead extending from the elongate body around a circumference of theelongate body, the at least one bead maintaining a positioning of thetabbed preform with respect to the first barrier; and a plurality ofpreform extension pieces extending from the elongate body at apredetermined distance from a top surface of the elongate body, whereineach one of the plurality of preform extension pieces is received in acorresponding one of the plurality of recesses of the first barrier. 11.The multi-barrier bottle of claim 10, wherein the at least one bead islocated between the first preform extension piece and the top surface ofthe elongate body.
 12. The multi-barrier bottle of claim 10, wherein thefirst barrier comprises a second piece that comprises a second pluralityof recesses, wherein each one of the second plurality of recessescorresponds to one of the plurality of preform extension pieces suchthat the one of the plurality of preform extension pieces is received ina corresponding recess of the second plurality of recesses.
 13. Themulti-barrier bottle of claim 10, wherein the tabbed preform is formedfrom at least one of the following: polyethylene terephthalate, apolyether block amide, nylon, polyurethane, polyethylene,biaxially-oriented polyethylene terephthalate, a fabric, and silicone.14. The multi-barrier bottle of claim 10, wherein the first barrier isconstructed of an ecologically friendly material selected from one ormore of sugarcane, (bagasse), bamboo, wheat straw, banana leaves, hay,grass, cornstalk, recycled pulp, a fiber material, post-consumernewsprint, post-consumer packaging, reclaimed architectural wood,reclaimed building materials, and reclaimed manufacturing byproducts.15. The multi-barrier bottle of claim 10, wherein one of the pluralityof preform extension pieces is spaced about 180° from another one of theplurality of preform extension pieces about a circumference of theelongate body.
 16. The multi-barrier bottle of claim 10, wherein thefirst preform extension piece is deformable within the first recess suchthat, when the first preform extension piece is deformed within therecess, the first preform extension piece fuses the first barrier to thesecond barrier.
 17. A multi-barrier bottle comprising: a first barriercomprising a first piece and a second piece that are shaped to define acavity, wherein the first piece comprises a first recess and the secondpiece comprises a second recess; and a second barrier formed from a blowmolded tabbed preform, the blow molded tabbed preform comprising: atabbed preform with an elongate body extending into the cavity withinthe first barrier; first and second preform extension pieces extendingfrom the elongate body at a predetermined distance from a top surface ofthe elongate body, wherein: the first and second preform extensionpieces are received in the first recess and the second recess of thefirst barrier, and the first and second preform extension pieces arespaced about 180° from one another about a circumference of the elongatebody; a plurality of beads extending from the elongate body around thecircumference of the elongate body, wherein the plurality of beads arelocated between the first and second preform extension pieces and thetop surface of the elongate body and maintain a positioning of thetabbed preform with respect to the first barrier such that the firstbarrier is in contact with at least one of the plurality of beads; andat least one of the plurality of beads extending from the elongate bodyaround the circumference of the elongate body, wherein at least one ofthe plurality of beads maintains a positioning of the tabbed preformwith respect to the first barrier.
 18. The multi-barrier bottle of claim10, wherein the elongate body of the second barrier comprises a topportion having a plurality of threads that correspond to a plurality ofinterior threads on a removable cap such that the top portion receivesthe removable cap via a mating of the plurality of threads with theplurality of interior threads.
 19. The multi-barrier bottle of claim 17,wherein the tabbed preform is formed from at least one of the following:polyethylene terephthalate, a polyether block amide, nylon,polyurethane, polyethylene, biaxially-oriented polyethyleneterephthalate, a fabric, and silicone.